Opiod-Related Deaths Are Down Across The State, Including the Merrimack Valley

Feb 27, 2019 07:53AM
● By Bill Gilman

Opiates

Atty. Paul King

According to information provided by the State Department of Public Health, the number of opiate-related deaths is dropping in the Merrimack Valley, as well as across Massachusetts.No information is provided, as to the reason for the decline in fatalities. It's not known if the drop is indicative of less usage or due to the use of Narcan to revive victims.According to the State DPH, in 2017, the deaths of 1,945 people were related to their use of opiates. That's a large number, to be sure, but it's down from the 2099 deaths in 2016.Locally, the numbers reflect the state trend. Tewksbury saw 10 opiote-related deaths in 2017, down from 13 in 2016. Dracut had just four opiate-related deaths in 2017. That's down from six in 2016, and is the town's smallest number of opiate deaths since at least 2012.In Lowell, the death toll dropped from 68 to 52 over the same time period.